# 1. Cheap Textbooks 90% Off

Cheapest The Nature of Technology: What It Is and How It Evolves

2010-03-12T16:16:00.001-08:00

I approached this book as a layperson. With no advanced degrees or formal engineering background, I read this book and found it to be both interesting and insightful. It is clear the author has brought a complex subject and a technological expertise down to earth for the non-professional person interested in science and technology.

Even though the subject matter, the evolution of technology, is studied and debated primarily by academics and scientists, it is good to be able to delve into in a very well thought out and well written treatise.

I recommend this book to those that are interest in how so many things in our world evolve and even those that just might be interested. Makes me want to learn more.Get more detail about The Nature of Technology: What It Is and How It Evolves.

Cheap Catholicism for Dummies

2010-03-11T16:16:00.001-08:00

After purchasing this book for obscure information, I quickly discovered this book is a hidden gem of understanding. For the Catholic, it provides what the person never received from their catechism. For the non-Catholic, they learn the truth about Catholicism and the fact there are more than one Catholic type.
The style of writing provides and easy read for the user. The downside to this is the lack of depth that I was looking for. This is not a negative for the vast majority that would read this. It will definitely make one think more positively about this religion.
If you had a question this book should have the answer.Get more detail about Catholicism for Dummies.

Buying Practice Makes Perfect: Spanish Verb Tenses

2010-03-10T16:15:00.001-08:00

In the short time that I have used the book, it has proven to be one of the better foreign language books that I have ever used. The exercises are very helpful and having the answers are a plus, so one does not get led astray.Get more detail about Practice Makes Perfect: Spanish Verb Tenses.

Buy Train Your Mind, Change Your Brain: How a New Science Reveals Our Extraordinary Potential to Transform Ourselves

2010-03-09T16:15:00.001-08:00

After many pages, the book just tell me that
- my character is 50% gene and 50% environment.
- I can change my brain by changing my thinking.
A lot of scientific evidence for little info.Get more detail about Train Your Mind, Change Your Brain: How a New Science Reveals Our Extraordinary Potential to Transform Ourselves.

Purchase The Financial Peace Planner: A Step-by-Step Guide to Restoring Your Family's Financial Health

2010-03-08T16:15:00.001-08:00

Awesome book to go along with the Financial Peace Book. Excellent way to get your finances in order!!Get more detail about The Financial Peace Planner: A Step-by-Step Guide to Restoring Your Family's Financial Health.

Order Reading with Meaning

2010-03-07T16:15:00.001-08:00

Debbie Miller's book is my new mentor text. I have read it more than once and have marked pages with post-its and highlighter. I have changed my classroom setting and library. She has truly inspired me to look more thoughtfully at my best teaching practices.Get more detail about Reading with Meaning.

Where To Buy Hatchet

2010-03-06T16:15:00.001-08:00

I love the book Hatchet. I am usually not a big fan of reading, but I love this book! It is one book I could never put down. It is one of my favorite books ever!! I would highly recommend this book to everyone especially people who like adventure and survival books. It also paints a very-detailed picture in your head throughout the whole book. I think everyone should read this great book. IF YOU SEE THIS BOOK AT YOUR LOCAL LIBRARY OR BOOK STORE, YOU MUST READ IT!! This breath-taking book is about a thirteen-year-old boy named Brian Robeson. Brian's parents are divorced. His mom lives in the United States and his Dad lives in Canada. Brian is going to live his Mom to live with his dad in Canada. Brian's mother gives him one of his most-priced-possessions-his hatchet. While Brian is flying to Canada in a bush-plane, his pilot has a heart attack. If you want to know what else happens, GET THE BOOK!Get more detail about Hatchet.

Shop For PHR / SPHR Professional in Human Resources Certification Study Guide

2010-03-05T16:15:00.001-08:00

I purchased this PHR book after initially failing the HRCI assesment exam, a week before I was to take the real exam. The sample questions in this book are not good at all. I purchased 2009 PHR / SPHR Certification Study Guide Sample Questions, 900 Questions with Explanations, Professional in Human Resources Exam / Senior Professional in Human Resources Exam

Which contain questions which I feel were much closer to the actual exam questions. Get more detail about PHR / SPHR Professional in Human Resources Certification Study Guide.

American Gods Review

2010-03-03T16:15:00.001-08:00

Thought provoking modern fantasy, but a bit against my grain. Times change, people change, nothing remains the same...not even gods.

The character of Shadow is well done, with traits that make the reader like him regardless of his past, present or choices.

There is a bit of shifting from time periods and I questioned as I read whether some of them were truly necessary for the story. Overall this was a good read, though not a title I would purchase for my personal shelf.Get more detail about American Gods.

The Richest Man in Babylon Top Quality

2010-03-02T16:15:00.001-08:00

It has been a challenging week, but I managed to get my book done, The Richest Man in Babylon by George S. Clason. This classic is a favorite of many of my preferred authors, so I thought I would add it to my repertoire. Clason is a fascinating man, born in Louisiana, Missouri in 1874 and started his Babylonian-based writing in 1926. This book has very solid messages and it's no wonder why this book has become a finance classic.

Clason uses parables set in Babylon to make his points throughout the book. One chapter does a really great job of encompassing several financial points, The Five Laws of Gold. Each of the five laws are very simple and if used can work wonders in building your wealth.

Five Laws of Gold

1: Gold comes gladly and in increasing quantity to any man who will put aside 10% of all he earns to build an estate for his family and future.

2: Gold labours diligently and contentedly for the wise owner who finds it profitable employment.

3: Gold clings to the protection of the cautious owner who invests it under the advice of men wise in its handling.

4: Gold slips away from the man who invests it in businesses that he is not familiar or is not approved by those skilled in its keep.

5: Gold flees the man who would force it to impossible earnings or who follows the advice of tricksters or schemers or who trusts it to his own inexperience and romantic desires in investment.

I feel Law 1 is the most useful thing anyone can use when starting to accumulate wealth. I have touched on this in a couple blog posts, but I want to really drive it home. The best way for you to really start making a large sum of money is Paying Yourself First. YOU is the most important investment your have. YOU should have the mentality that YOU are your most vicious creditor you have. You owe YOURSELF before you pay anyone else.... Figure it into your budget. When you get your paycheck have a set number each month that you owe YOURSELF, I like no less than 10%. Never budge on paying yourself and always do it first. In my last blog about I Will Teach You To Be Rich, I showed you how to automate your finances. This makes it very easy to pay yourself. If you have $500 a month coming out of your checking account, and into your ING Direct or Emigrant Direct Savings Account, the day after you get your paycheck, you won't even consider that spending money. ING and Emigrant Savings Account pay 1.3% interest right now and it takes a day or two to get money when you do a transfer. I definitely recommend either of these accounts. I challenge you to start paying yourself first... trust me, you are worth every single penny. PAY YOURSELF FIRST!

More on ING and Emigrant Direct Accounts.... I just changed from Emigrant to ING because ING allows you to have several sub-accounts under the same over arching account. You can create nicknames for each of your accounts and each can have automatic savings plans for each separate account. Let's play pretend... You have and ING Account with sub accounts named Wedding, New House, and Vacation (I will discuss retirement accounts in a separate blog down the road... saving accounts should be used for short-term expenses: 3-6 years). You want to Pay Yourself First so you have get paid on the 1st each month and on 2nd you have ING pull $500 from your checking account. This $500 will be split among your accounts $150 to Wedding, $250 to New House, and $100 to Vacation.... In 5 Years we will have... drum-roll... $9,294 for your Wedding, $15,490 for your New Home, and $6,196 for your dream vacation... Total Savings = $30,980. Determine what you want you pay to be and work your budget so you pay yourself before anyone else... be vicious... get creative and figure out a way to pay yourself what you want. I want to make a point that much more money can be accumulated than this for the long-term... More on that later.

The Richest Man in Babylon is a great book with lots of great parables. It's not a long read just some different language usage. I think it would be a good read for anyone that has a little extra time... probably a vacation read... in 5 years you'll have plenty saved up for that! If you have any questions on the book don't hesitate to ask. I would be more than happy to help anyone that wants it.Get more detail about The Richest Man in Babylon.

The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason This instant

2010-03-01T16:15:00.001-08:00

This book reinforced my mindset about religion, that is, myths and fairy tales. I was surprised that Sam Harris has a leaning to Buddhism--I'd have thought he had no beliefs whatsoever. The essence of the book is that religion contains the seeds of our own destruction as a civilization, if that wasn't already obvious to begin with. What is worse, is that religion is entrenched at the highest levels of government. In fact, to be President of the United States, it is a requirement to have some kind of faith. And if it isn't Christianity, then you might as well not run. Reagan even had a tacet belief in astrology. Will there ever be an end of relgion as we know it? Not unless we see an end of stupid people. And that is unlikely.Get more detail about The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason.

The Handmaid's Tale (MAXNotes Literature Guides) Immediately

2010-02-28T16:15:00.001-08:00

What happens when a race faces extinction? How should one solve the problem of low fertility rates? Should an entire civilization leave the all-important task of self-sustainability to mere chance when sexual diseases and irresponsible lifestyle choices compound the problem?

The answer is to create a system to stem the problem before it propagates. Individual freedom? In an ideal world perhaps. Gender Equality? Bah! The fact is, when push comes to shove, these frivolous statutes need to be sacrificed for the greater good.

Atwood's novel deals with these salient issues and imagines a society that has found a chillingly viable solution to ensure its survival.

The Republic of Gilead has founded their procreative system on the employment of handmaids, who are young women hand-plucked to serve the households of the top echelons of society. They are primarily concubines of those distinguished gentlemen whose wives are not able or no longer able to conceive.

One surefire way of ensuring that these handmaids are of productive stock is to choose those who have already had children before. To give this perverse idea a veneer of self-righteous respectability, those chosen are the `blemished', who had children out of wedlock or not by their first marriages.

They are then garbed in Amish-like dress, but instead of being austere black, these are red to convey ripeness and fertility. (The wives in turn are colour-coded in royal blue while other women decked in other colours to serve different functions). These are the lucky ones - the others pronounced as `unwoman' are sent to die in colonies either of hard labour or toxic radiation.

The story is told from the perspective of a handmaid, whose real name is never revealed to the reader. Her newly-bestowed name is derived from the first name of her owner, Fred, eerily referred to as The Commander. She is literally called `Offred', as the other handmaids would be called `Of-master's name', to connote she is only property.

The reader is made to feel Offred's emotions at each turn of the story. We see her being re-educated at an instructional institution where she and the other girls are herded like cattle by sadistic Aunts.

Atwood never does quite establish the setting or storyline for the reader with any intrusion as the writer. Instead, the reader only finds things out in morsels as Offred relives her memories, that are more often than not, sparked by what was happening at her Commander's household.

Purportedly the first in a trilogy of dystopian novels (the second being `Oryx and Crake', followed by 2009's `The Year of the Flood'), `The Handmaid's Tale' stands out as a masterpiece in storytelling. What is disturbingly compelling about this moral fable is the idea that all this is possible and that all it takes is for someone to meddle with the precarious balance of right and wrong and everything falls apart.
Get more detail about The Handmaid's Tale (MAXNotes Literature Guides).

Nursing2010 Drug Handbook with Web Toolkit (Nursing Drug Handbook) Best Quality

2010-02-27T16:15:00.001-08:00

This is one of the best nursing drug handbooks that I have seen. Drugs are easily accessible and good information is providedGet more detail about Nursing2010 Drug Handbook with Web Toolkit (Nursing Drug Handbook).

In the Woods Get it now!

2010-02-26T16:15:00.001-08:00

This is my second review, apparently my first one was a bit too rough. I'll simply say this: In the Woods should be Dorothy Parkered. Get more detail about In the Woods.

The Elements of Style: 50th Anniversary Edition Buy Now

2010-02-25T16:15:00.001-08:00

The book is great. A classic and practical. Everyone needs one of these to help them with grammer and writing of any communication.Get more detail about The Elements of Style: 50th Anniversary Edition.

In a Sunburned Country Order Now

2010-02-24T16:15:00.001-08:00

'In A Sunburnt Country'/'Down Under' is another entertaining Bryson travelogue, as he grapples with the Australian language, environment, wildlife, and vast distances. Australia is enourmous and incredibly diverse, but Bryson is able to provide a fairly comprehensive view of the country as a whole. He actually made a number of independent trips Down Under, all to different parts of the country, for this book.

As always, Bryson has done his homework, reciting an impressive series of historical and geographical facts of which even Australians may not be fully aware. However, it is important to emphasise that Bryson's main objective is to tell an entertaining story, so not every word needs to be taken literally. He will often exaggerate and stereotype for humour, he makes a few minor geographic errors here and there, and he seems to have let one bad incident in Darwin tar his view of the whole town. Nevertheless, most of the personal anecdotes and observations are so funny, you won't care if there's a little embellishment here and there.

It is clear Bryson loves Australia and its people, and as someone from Midwestern USA, he seems to feel an strong affinity with the Australian culture and lifestyle. Apart from a couple of individuals, Bryson in general has great respect for ordinary Australian people. There is little of the snarky cynicism and borderline-elitist sentiment which plagued 'The Lost Continent' on display here.

In all, this is a typically interesting (if not 100% accurate) Bryson book, which provides a reasonably informative and highly entertaining introduction to Australia.Get more detail about In a Sunburned Country.

Here Comes Everybody: The Power of Organizing Without Organizations Decide Now

2010-02-23T16:15:00.001-08:00

The book begins with an intriguing story of a girl who found a cellphone that was forgotten in a cab and later refused to return it to the owner. It happened in New York in May 2006 and was reported widely on the Internet as well as in New York Times. This story demonstrates the power of Internet crowd. They are powerful enough to change the course of action of government. A mere 10 years ago such things were impossible.

The book is full of such examples. In other chapters it describes the story of Wikipedia and its unsuccessful predecessor Nupedia, the story of Linux, multiple political riots, as well as unusual cases from American life. Thus it is possible to think of this book as a series of case studies. But the author goes beyond that. Being an NYU professor, the author find out what made such things possible.

He discusses multiple historic examples, for example how McCallum have thought of an org chart when he was working at New York & Erie Railroad. Another example is the invention of the printing press. Before that, the books were copied by hand. No matter how many people were doing that the literacy did not spread. It was impossible to teach people to write using book copying. What was needed was a vast increase in the number of books being read - and only after that people began trying to reproduce what they were reading themselves. The invention of printing press increased the literacy significantly.

The author studied the distribution of number of contributions to Wikipedia. It turned out that most people did very few short contributions. For example, many people attempted to start an article but were not competent enough to write the whole thing. Thus they left after writing only an introduction. But such small contributions when accumulated build a solid encyclopedia.

IRC was mentioned as one of the most convenient means of communication but it is probably the hackers' paradise. But the author mentions an Internet company Meetup almost in every chapter. This is just one example of a web site that facilitates group building. In Europe it is not as popular as in the United States. The author describes other companies that his students have developed. There are lots of ideas that will inspire people from around the world.

Well written, with lots of examples, thought provoking, this book will entertain IT professionals and non-computer people alike. The book greatly benefits from the fact that the author is a professor and teacher as the clarity and structure of the text is of very high quality. To me it is an invaluable historical evidence of present day changes which people will keep analyzing for a long time.

Get more detail about Here Comes Everybody: The Power of Organizing Without Organizations.

The Best 371 Colleges, 2010 Edition (College Admissions Guides) Right now

2010-02-22T16:15:00.001-08:00

This was extremely informative and put my college search into perspective. Well written and up to date.Get more detail about The Best 371 Colleges, 2010 Edition (College Admissions Guides).

Lowest Price Founders at Work: Stories of Startups' Early Days

2010-02-21T16:16:00.001-08:00

Overall good book. I obviously enjoyed certain interviews more than others (almost slept through the Lotus and co. ones), I enjoyed and learned a lot from their stories. I wish there was more focus on peer relations and less on VC's business, but I'd be an ignorant if I overlooked the fact that these companies didn't grow as big as they are on good will alone.

Very inspiring book. I'd recommend it to anyone interest in starting up any kind of business.Get more detail about Founders at Work: Stories of Startups' Early Days.

Low Price The PMP Exam: How to Pass on Your First Try

2010-02-20T16:15:00.001-08:00

This book really did wonders for me during my review. It helped me better understand the concepts rather than just doing memorization. This book is also packed with lots of usefull tips and methods to pass the exam. I highly recommend this book if you are planning to take the exam and if you combine with a prepcast tool, chances are you will pass the exam on your first. I know that because I did.Get more detail about The PMP Exam: How to Pass on Your First Try.

Save Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 11th Edition (Red Kivar Binding with Jacket)

2010-02-19T16:15:00.001-08:00

The dictionary was described as having a Kivar binding with jacket, hardcover, but it had a soft cover. I had to pay for shipping both ways. This was an irritating experience. Get more detail about Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 11th Edition (Red Kivar Binding with Jacket).

Discount Security Analysis: Sixth Edition, Foreword by Warren Buffett (Security Analysis Prior Editions)

2010-02-18T16:15:00.001-08:00

Mark Twain says that, "It's a classic... something that everybody wants to have read and nobody wants to read." With that tone, the above title is a comment from Martin Whitman (of Third Avenue Funds) in which he noticed that everyone talks about Graham & Dodd and the value approach, but very few have actually read the text.

Yes, Security Analysis is a classic in the investment world and as an investor you are better off for having read it. Will it make you famous or rich, No. But reading it will both protect you from market fallacy that tends to occur over and over again, and also will teach you how to take advantage of that fallacy when it does occur.

As other reviewers have indicated, this is an abridged 1940 edition of what Buffett calls the 1940 Edition (2nd Edition) as the Classic of all the editions. As Buffett also states in the forward, one of his most prized possessions is the marked up 1934 edition in preparation of the 1940 release. He then goes on to say he has read it at least four (4) times.

Though it is abridged, all the original material is available as this Sixth Edition comes with both a CD and McGraw Hill allows you to download other chapters too. Also the contributors with commentaries for each the VIII parts from Seth Klarman to Thomas Russo round out this fine compilation for the next generation of Graham & Dodd value investors. Worth the purchase if you want to read it and not just place it on the shelf, read the classic :)Get more detail about Security Analysis: Sixth Edition, Foreword by Warren Buffett (Security Analysis Prior Editions).

Cheapest Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About Colleges

2010-02-17T16:15:00.001-08:00

Just starting out our college search for our daughter (HS junior) and I was having a hard time getting focused--it's easy to get overwhelmed with available information. This book was just what I was looking for. We're planning a visit to Ursinus College in a couple of weeks. Great profiles of schools that DON'T include the typical SAT/GPA/tuition figures that you can find anywhere. Really gets to the heart of each school.Get more detail about Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About Colleges.

Cheap The Design of Everyday Things

2010-02-16T16:15:00.001-08:00

It's a good book. It's a lot smaller than I was expecting it to be. Also there are no color pictures.Get more detail about The Design of Everyday Things.

Buying Virus of the Mind: The New Science of the Meme

2010-02-15T16:15:00.001-08:00

The picture on the cover and being introduced by Wayne Dyer on PBS convinced me this would be a good book to read so I purchased it. Only to realize that I have known this all along, and nothing really surprising about Virus of the Mind. The only thing I learned was the word "meme."

For someone like me, English is my third language. I realize how narrow people's perceptions are if English is your only language. It makes the people prime breeding ground for virus of the mind. If you learn a foreign language or even live in another country for a while, you will see the spreading of the virus through commercials, political ads, and even your friends.

To truly understand Brodie's book, I challenge those young or able enough to travel abroad and live there for at least several months. You will really come back and understand the insidious viruses here at home and the viruses abroad. It will open your eyes. Get more detail about Virus of the Mind: The New Science of the Meme.

Buy Making the Most of Small Groups: Differentiation for All

2010-02-14T16:15:00.001-08:00

I love Debbie Diller's focus on kids working in pairs. I used her system for one year and the kids seemed to enjoy it and I thought it went very smoothly. The only thing that I did not like about it was that it is a lot of work and upkeep every week. If you are looking for something with a little less upkeep and "busy work" try the Daily 5.Get more detail about Making the Most of Small Groups: Differentiation for All.

Purchase The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation: An Easy-to-Use Guide with Clear Rules, Real-World Examples, and Reproducible Quizzes

2010-02-13T16:15:00.001-08:00

I bought this hoping for a grammar reference that was as comprehensive as The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation. I was very disappointed. It is 75 pages of rules (many erroneous based on the other reviews, which I wish I'd read prior to purchasing) followed by 78 pages of quizzes and answers. There is no index. The lack of an index makes it particularly ineffective as a reference.Get more detail about The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation: An Easy-to-Use Guide with Clear Rules, Real-World Examples, and Reproducible Quizzes.

Order Literacy Work Stations: Making Centers Work

2010-02-12T16:15:00.001-08:00

If you want to set up literacy stations in your classrooms (k-2), or you just want to re-vamp the ones you already have, then Debbie Diller's book is very helpful. The key to successful stations is to teach the stations from the beginning of the year. Use all station materials in your teaching, students will then model this teaching when they go to the station for independent practice. Great ideas and useful resource for teachers of literacy stations. Great summer reading for teachers!Get more detail about Literacy Work Stations: Making Centers Work.

Shop For Overcoming the Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Field Guide for Leaders, Managers, and Facilitators (J-B Lencioni Series)

2010-02-10T16:15:00.001-08:00

I could be wrong, but I did not see anything in this book that was based on any research. The content seemed to be based on one person's idea about how they thought a company should be run. I'm concerned that people may be taking well intentioned ideas and putting them into practice without any real hard data behind them that demonstrate how effective these ideas are.

In my experience with this book, and with many managers in the company I worked for reading it, the result was not very good. This book makes it clear that when it comes to 'The Team', 'The Team' is strictly made up of the leader and his subordinates. Once 'The Team' makes their decision, the rest of the company (the people who report to 'The Team') must get on board, or get off at the next bus stop.

I found this message to be inconsistent with many other proven management methods, including Lean manufacturing and Agile software development. Pretty much anything based on the Toyota model of running a company - which has a lot of supporting data behind it - was missing. Employee empowerment was not considered much, if at all, by the content of this book.

One of the other behaviors by the management of the company I worked for who adopted this book was also troubling. Much is made of 'trust' in this book. The importance of employees trusting management was made very clear in this book. The funny thing is that the management of the company, after having read this book, seemed to think that trust was something they had, merely as a result of them being in their management positions. An interesting idea, but I have found that trust is something that is usually earned rather than obtained by having been given some title. If you doubt that, please consider any President of the United States in the past 20 years and whether they had the trust of everyone in the country.

Overall, I recommend reading this book to prepare yourself for others who have read it. However, I have to strongly caution against implementing the ideas in this book.
Get more detail about Overcoming the Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Field Guide for Leaders, Managers, and Facilitators (J-B Lencioni Series).

Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing

2010-02-09T16:15:00.001-08:00

I rather liked the informal style of the book and found most of my queries were answered in an easy to understand manner. Having said that, the Kindle edition does not have a table of contents and the naming conventions used in the book make it difficult to find information quickly. If you're going to release an electronic version of a book whose purpose is to be used as a reference item, it should have a thorough table of contents, an index, and it should be organized in a manner so that specific information can be found quickly. I thought the sum content of the book was great, it just needs a little help with accessibility.

This review is reflective of Kindle edition of this book only.
Get more detail about Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing.

The Chicago Manual of Style Review

2010-02-08T16:15:00.001-08:00

The Chicago Manual of Style is very comprehensive. Great resource for anyone who is editing or writing a book or journal article. I would have given five stars if the manual offered more examples. Get more detail about The Chicago Manual of Style.

A Sense of Urgency Top Quality

2010-02-07T16:15:00.001-08:00

Continuing as the master of changemanagement book, Kotter in a very timely message focuses on the sense of urgency pulling in new examples and references to his earlier good reads to aid in understanding how to get many of these efforts off the ground and continuing in a positive trajectory. It does a good job of separating the challenges of complacency and my word not his sabatoge of progress.

Well worth the read.
Get more detail about A Sense of Urgency.

The Official Guide for GMAT Verbal Review, 2nd Edition This instant

2010-02-06T16:15:00.001-08:00

The shipping took about 10 days as it has been promised. So, they did their job. Get more detail about The Official Guide for GMAT Verbal Review, 2nd Edition.

The 33 Strategies of War (Joost Elffers Books) Immediately

2010-02-05T16:15:00.001-08:00

Although the title suggests the book focuses on war, it addresses all conflict - be it military, business or personal. In each of 33 chapters, he identifies a "principal of war", and gives several historical examples of how it was applied (or misapplied) with in depth analysis and commentary. One will learn as much about history as strategy from this.

After reading this I have thought back to past conflicts in my life. I now see strategic mistakes in how I handled in business. If I had read this book 15 years ago (obviously impossible as it was recently published), my professional life might have been more successful.

While the book is a great primer on winning conflicts, I also found it very readable and entertaining. It is quite long at 448 pages of small print, but it is one of few non-fiction books I will keep and reread. I also enjoyed his books "Rules of Power" and "Rules of Seduction", but thought this was his best work.Get more detail about The 33 Strategies of War (Joost Elffers Books).

Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy Best Quality

2010-02-04T16:15:00.001-08:00

I was very pleased with the quality of this item...came very quickly and just as described! Thanks! Get more detail about Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy.

First Aid for the USMLE Step 1 2009: A Student to Student Guide (First Aid USMLE) Get it now!

2010-02-03T16:15:00.001-08:00

previously was using an older edition, so bought the updated version. love, and swear by this book for step one prep.Get more detail about First Aid for the USMLE Step 1 2009: A Student to Student Guide (First Aid USMLE).

The Toyota Way Buy Now

2010-02-02T16:15:00.001-08:00

I've seen other books on "Lean" and "Lean Production" carrying much higher prices for less than half the content. This book is a good value and easy read - explains the history of Toyota and then carries their expansion and influence across the water to the US and our challenges. I'm not necessarily obsessed with Toyota - the principles actually started with Ford and the book aptly gives credit to Henry as well.Get more detail about The Toyota Way.

Kaplan ASVAB 2010 Edition: The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery Order Now

2010-02-01T16:15:00.001-08:00

The real ASVAB has 10 sections, not 8. This book is not complete. Buy the Peterson's study guide instead.Get more detail about Kaplan ASVAB 2010 Edition: The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery.

Overcoming Dyslexia: A New and Complete Science-Based Program for Reading Problems at Any Level Decide Now

2010-01-31T16:15:00.001-08:00

This is a great resource for both parents and professionals in that it explains the nature of dyslexia in easy to understand terms based on neuropsychological research.Get more detail about Overcoming Dyslexia: A New and Complete Science-Based Program for Reading Problems at Any Level.

Understanding Business Right now

2010-01-30T16:15:00.001-08:00

THIS BOOK IS GREAT. I NEEDED THIS BOOK FOR MY BUSINESS CLASS AND AMAZON HAD THIS BOOK CHEAPER THAN THE COLLEGE BOOKSTORE. AMAZON WAS EVEN ABLE TO SHIP IT TO ME WITHIN TWO DAYS WHICH WAS GREAT.Get more detail about Understanding Business.

Low Price The Art of War

2010-01-28T16:15:00.001-08:00

it is good that i was able to read a part of the book befor i bought it.Get more detail about The Art of War.

Save Kurt Vonnegut's Cat's Cradle: Modern Critical Interpretations (Bloom's Modern Critical Interpretations)

2010-01-27T16:15:00.001-08:00

Kurt Vonnegut's creation of the Cat's Cradle is a satirical, comical and yet strikingly frightening take on the human condition and here it will, inevitably, lead us. He is extremely misleading in his simplistic, choppy, writing style that gives the opportunity for anybody and anybody who has a small amount of reading skill to pick this volume up and consume it. Though its simplicity is comforting the words spelled out in the metaphorical between-space of each line tells an entirely different tale.

Vonnegut picks apart aspects of family and love, religion and war, science and government so well that this book is absolutely worthy of reading several times over. The most important aspect that he delves into is the concept of science. Is anyone else out there frightened of science and its ability to make new and 'better' technologies at such a phenomenal rate that eventually, inevitably, somebody is going to mess it up? Ice-nine, the scientific creation that seems like it would be a work of genius is, in fact, a work of stupidity that eventually leads to destruction and chaos. Science dooms as well as heals. Seemingly, Vonnegut ties this aspect into all his other lessons. Family, love, religion, war, science and government all heals as well as dooms those associated with it. A positively fantastic story by a complicated, yet clear-as-day, author.Get more detail about Kurt Vonnegut's Cat's Cradle: Modern Critical Interpretations (Bloom's Modern Critical Interpretations).

Discount How to Stop Worrying and Start Living

2010-01-26T16:15:00.001-08:00

I am a health care professional.
The material is great. It is so good,
that I have bought exta books, and gave
them out to friends and patients.
The patients, always return the thanks with
great reviews.
Get more detail about How to Stop Worrying and Start Living.

Cheapest Primal Leadership: Learning to Lead with Emotional Intelligence

2010-01-25T16:15:00.001-08:00

This was a good good for a student to do their research on leadership from a primal example.Get more detail about Primal Leadership: Learning to Lead with Emotional Intelligence.

Cheap Math Doesn't Suck: How to Survive Middle School Math Without Losing Your Mind or Breaking a Nail

2010-01-24T16:15:00.001-08:00

I am 67 and for the first time in my "math life" I understand prime numbers and how to easily determine them! That alone is worth the price of the book and I look forward to learning more.

AND I am a man!

This book in cutely titled, but does it seem a bit sexist in today's PC culture? Tee Hee.

Boys will love this book. Infinitely...primarily...

Bill DoughtyGet more detail about Math Doesn't Suck: How to Survive Middle School Math Without Losing Your Mind or Breaking a Nail.

Buying The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life

2010-01-23T16:16:00.001-08:00

For me the value of this was:

1) A portrit of somebody who realised he did not fit the profile for success in the corporate world and focused on what did fit his profile i.e. investing, which drew on his strengths without being hampered by his weaknesses. Inspirational.

2) The description of his time working under Graham, in combination with reading between the lines of what Graham himself wrote, allowed me to confirm to my own satisfaction that my understanding of how Graham really operated was correct. Got you, you old fox. (Graham tells you indirectly, but you have to read between the lines from the standpoint of having knowledge in that area already to pick up what he is saying, as the 'tells' are very subtle). Get more detail about The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life.

Purchase The Power of Full Engagement: Managing Energy, Not Time, is the Key to High Performance and Personal Renewal

2010-01-21T16:15:00.001-08:00

For all those beleaguered 21st century multi-taskers who don't understand why their lives never seem to be in control; this book will provide the relief you need. The good news: You are now allowed to lead a normal and much more productive life (which incidentally, could last much longer now).

Jim Loehr & Tony Schwartz have compiled a wonderful study into the previously murky waters of "full engagement". After you read this book, you'll have an entirely different perspective on what your priorities should be, and in the process, bring energy to your endeavors that you thought you never had; or at least, forgot you had.

The central theme revolves around energy, not time. As the authors state, energy is "the fundamental currency of high performance". The organization that skillfully manages "energy" makes full engagement possible; which in turn, maximizes its productivity by emotionally and mentally connecting its employees.

By following the guidelines the authors lay out, the enlightened organization will experience a new high performance paradigm shift; great results are achieved by focusing on energy, not time. It makes perfect sense; let's hope corporate America fully embraces this concept.Get more detail about The Power of Full Engagement: Managing Energy, Not Time, is the Key to High Performance and Personal Renewal.

Order The Fourth Turning: An American Prophecy

2010-01-20T16:15:00.001-08:00

There is a pervasive mood in America today -- an uneasy feeling that we sense is growing and with which we deal in different ways. Sales of firearms and ammunition are skyrocketing, and not because the citizenry fears an invasion. Stockpiling of food, water, and essential items continues to grow, and not because we are all joining the Church of Latter Day Saints. If you ask friends they will give it different names, but they will agree that some kind of trouble is coming. "The Fourth Turning" describes that trouble as a 'crisis.'

Written twelve years ago, this book examines our understanding of what winds the clock of history and our expectations of what future time may bring. It is based on two notions, a periodicy recognized by ancient Greeks and Romans, the "saeculum," and the idea that we are all members of defined generations. These are not radical ideas, since a saeculum is roughly eighty years (the 'long life' recognized in Biblical times) and we all admit to being a member of some generation, whatever its name. What is radical is that Strauss and Howe superimpose the ideas of saeculum and generations (four generations equal a saeculum) on Anglo-American history and then invite our attention to the fascinating results.

No doubt it is their analysis that led to the misleading subtitle "An American Prophecy." Misleading, because the book does not foretell America's specific future. Instead, in 1997 when the authors wrote it, the book foretells that an American crisis will arrive on schedule in what they call the "oh oh decade." Twelve years later we have arrived in the "oh oh years," and we sense we are in a crisis. What happens during that crisis and, more importantly, what happens afterwards is largely left to the reader, though in 1997 the authors listed the elements that they reckoned would be in the crisis and their list is uncannily correct.

Those reviewers who gave this book five stars understood its reasoning and message. Those who did not like the book were either believers in lineal cultural history (the inevitable march to utopia) or they did not understand it (the prose was 'too confused') or they found the ideas in conflict with their education or preconceived misconceptions of history and current events. It would have been instructive if each had put the year of their birth in their review and noted the generation of which they believe themselves a member.

As I write this, Amazon has 83 reviews of "The Fourth Turning," including reprints of book reviews from the media -- positive or negative, that number of reviews is a testament to the importance of this seminal work of William Strauss and Neil Howe. It is a book that should be read by all Americans, whatever their generation.

Chet Nagle is the author of "Iran Covenant" a thrilling novel about Iran's nuclear weapons program and how to end it Iran CovenantGet more detail about The Fourth Turning: An American Prophecy.

Where To Buy Betty Crocker's Diabetes Cookbook: Everyday Meals, Easy as 1-2-3

2010-01-19T16:15:00.001-08:00

We got this cookbook for I have diabetes and needed to fix meals that was easy and good. We have tried three of the recipes and have been really easy and good. Not like the orther cookbooks that say the meal is good and easy to fix when you can't find half of the ingredents and when you sit down to eat them they are horrible.
I give this cookbook high ratings for the ingredents are easy to find and it tells you exactly how many carbs you are eating and what to fix along it to make a good meal in other wards the whole menu for that meal or all the meals for the day if you want a more down to the point on what to eat and when.Get more detail about Betty Crocker's Diabetes Cookbook: Everyday Meals, Easy as 1-2-3.

Fool's Gold: How the Bold Dream of a Small Tribe at J.P. Morgan Was Corrupted by Wall Street Greed and Unleashed a Catastrophe

2010-01-17T16:15:00.001-08:00

During the financial crisis, I found myself thinking: when this subsides I can hardly wait to read the book that will explain what the hell is happening. This book makes an excellent base for understanding the transmogrification of banking into a go-go financial house of cards. JP Morgan emerges as both villain (they invented some of the instruments that were abused) and role-model (they did not give in to the excesses of Lehman, Citibank, and Bear Sterns). The author writes for the Financial Times, and thus a sophisticated audience, so don't expect easy going--especially since the players themselves often didn't understand what they had wrought. A good companion to this is In Fed We Trust, which tells the Washington side of the story.In Fed We Trust: Ben Bernanke's War on the Great Panic Get more detail about Fool's Gold: How the Bold Dream of a Small Tribe at J.P. Morgan Was Corrupted by Wall Street Greed and Unleashed a Catastrophe.

Beautiful Boy: A Father's Journey Through His Son's Addiction (Readers Circle) Top Quality

2010-01-15T16:15:00.001-08:00

David Sheff's story of his own son's addiction is incredibly well written. He recalls each anecdote from his son's past that curves into his reasoning for his son's addiction. He is a father who had to deal with understanding his son's addiction and wondering, is he going to be okay? How can he help him? It seems that as he was writing this book, he was also discovering and linking and connecting why his son turned to drugs. As I was reading his book, and his thoughts I could relate as being a teenager myself, and thinking about what or how my parents would react if they were put into the same position. This book is very easy to read and relate to, and can help many struggling teens and or parents who's own kids are suffering from drug addiction.Get more detail about Beautiful Boy: A Father's Journey Through His Son's Addiction (Readers Circle).

iPhone: The Missing Manual: Covers All Models with 3.0 Software-including the iPhone 3GS This instant

2010-01-14T16:15:00.001-08:00

Well, I lost my Motorola Razr phone which had served me well for two years. It's in the house somewhere, but I never did find it. All my friends had been telling me I needed a smart phone, so when this happened I went to the AT&T store and bought an iPhone 3GS (16 gig).

The girl I spoke with said that "everything's pretty intuitive" so that was why it didn't come with an instruction booklet. Wrong!!! There are things this phone can do that are not intuitive, but still simply amazing.

I'd bought David Pogue's missing manual for my Mac laptop, and I knew he was a really good writer, so I bought this book about my iPhone by him, too. It has been well worth the money. The book is bigger than the phone itself, and there is information in this book that I never would have been able to guess on my own.

I have some quibbles about the phone, especially that I can't forward voicemails from it, but that's not the phone's fault . . . it's AT&T's. The book, on its own, ... Fabulous!
Get more detail about iPhone: The Missing Manual: Covers All Models with 3.0 Software-including the iPhone 3GS.

Economics in One Lesson: The Shortest and Surest Way to Understand Basic Economics Immediately

2010-01-13T16:15:00.001-08:00

This is a great book that hammers home the fact that economic actions have consequences - and that those consequences often travel much farther than the eye can see. The one-sentence "lesson" in chapter 1 leads to discussions in later chapters to a view of unemployment, inflation, government spending, tariffs, etc. Get more detail about Economics in One Lesson: The Shortest and Surest Way to Understand Basic Economics.

The Mindful Way through Depression: Freeing Yourself from Chronic Unhappiness (purchase includes audio CD narrated by Jon Kabat-Zinn) Best Quality

2010-01-12T16:15:00.001-08:00

I have ordered and read a lot of books but have never written a review on Amazon before. I am writing this one because I strongly believe this to be one of the most helpful and enlightening books I have ever read. I have struggled with negative thinking and depression for my entire adult life. I have sought out (and still receive) counseling and medication to help. All the things that my therapist was trying to teach me about observing and being aware of my own thoughts--about myself, about others, about my impressions and thoughts of others, etc.--are explained simply here, and exercises and techniques are provided to help you learn how to do it. If you read this book and honestly undertake the exercises and lessons taught here, you will be giving yourself the tools you need to make it through. If you cannot afford a therapist, get this book. If you can, go to the therapist and get this book.
With all this said, if you find yourself in a deep depression and are having any thoughts of hurting yourself, don't get this book now. First, and right away, go and talk to a professional who can help you now. Get more detail about The Mindful Way through Depression: Freeing Yourself from Chronic Unhappiness (purchase includes audio CD narrated by Jon Kabat-Zinn).

A People's History of the United States: 1492 to Present (P.S.) Get it now!

2010-01-11T16:15:00.001-08:00

This book can be named anything else, but US History-there is little history and less US here. Get more detail about A People's History of the United States: 1492 to Present (P.S.).

Adobe Photoshop CS4 Classroom in a Book Buy Now

2010-01-10T16:15:00.001-08:00

VERY HAPPY WITH THIS ADOBE PHOTOSHOP CS4 AND HOW FAST I RECEIVED THIS SOFTWARE.
THANKS AGAIN FOR SUCH A DEAL. S. PULVERGet more detail about Adobe Photoshop CS4 Classroom in a Book.

The Magic of Thinking Big Order Now

2010-01-09T16:15:00.001-08:00

I just recently read this book after having it sit on my shelf for a couple of years. It was just what I needed to kick start my life into the right gear. This book will give you the confidence to move mountains and if you are self employed, in sales or just looking to go to the next level in your life, this book is a must read.Get more detail about The Magic of Thinking Big.

Why Evolution Is True Decide Now

2010-01-08T16:15:00.001-08:00

I've often heard many scientists who support evolution state that evolution is a fact and do so emphatically. I decided to find out why they felt so strongly about their position. Jerry Coyne's book is an excellent one. The title of the book "Why Evolution is True" caught my attention. So here is a book written by someone who specializes in evolutionary genetics and the origin of new species. He should be able to tell me why evolution is true. I think Coyne made a strong case for evolution.

One good example is the study cited which involved the radiometric dating of corals living during the Devonian period. This dating corresponded nicely with the tidal ring dating on the corals which indicated the length of a typical day back then - twenty two hours, pretty much what it should have been 380 million years ago. Note: the friction produced by the tides gradually slows the earth's rotation over time so days actually were shorter millions of years ago.

One example I found more difficult to comprehend was the one about the 1000 olfactory receptors that mice have. Supposedly, these derived from one receptor that duplicated itself, the receptors then differentiated to lock on to different odors, and then the brain had to rewire to interpret the date from these differentiated receptors. I think we need a bit more science here to understand what exactly happened.

The book is loaded with many examples to demonstrate the validity of the theory. He also discuses a variety of topics including genetic drift, natural selection, sexual selection, examples of the evolutionary process, and origin of species.

Overall I found this book very interesting. So if you want to learn more about the case for evolution, I recommend reading this book.
Get more detail about Why Evolution Is True.

Deja Dead: A Novel (Temperance Brennan Novels) Right now

2010-01-07T16:15:00.001-08:00

I bought this book after watching the "Bones" television program. While the main character of the book series shares many traits with her tv counterpart, they are different in many ways. The book's main character, Temperence Brennan, is more flawed and has experienced life (she'd divorced and has a college-aged daughter). I will admit that the technical explanations of saw marks and such do go on a bit too long for me, I did enjoy this first book of the series. The crime detailed was quite gruesome, much like the tv series, so be ready for more than one disgusting description.
A good read that will hold your interest. Hard to put down, at times. Get more detail about Deja Dead: A Novel (Temperance Brennan Novels).

Lowest Price Your Inner Fish: A Journey into the 3.5-Billion-Year History of the Human Body (Vintage)

2010-01-06T16:15:00.001-08:00

I bought the book to read, like I do all the books I purchase. This I bought to read about one of the most important archeological finds of all time - the Tiktaalik. But I was simply amazed by what I found in the pages of this book.

Not only does Shubin explain the find, he presents the case of how we evolved from fish. Based on his knowledge of researching and teaching the human anatomy he explains how the most important parts of our body -- especially our hands -- directly descended from fish anatomy.

The stories he narrates are entertaining and revealing. His explanation is simple and easy to follow -- although I have to admit my continuing problem of remembering the medical terminology.

In the end (almost the end) Shubin reveals the most astonishing fact of all. That the scientists have stopped marshaling evidence which proves that we evolved from fish. It is as secure a 'fact' as the knowledge that the Earth revolves around the Sun. Simply brilliant.

So is the book. Get more detail about Your Inner Fish: A Journey into the 3.5-Billion-Year History of the Human Body (Vintage).

Low Price Do What You Are: Discover the Perfect Career for You Through the Secrets of Personality Type

2010-01-05T16:16:00.001-08:00

I was very skeptical of the whole personality type idea but after taking the test I found my type profile described me exactly. I learned so much about myself in such a short amount of time. Learning about yourself in this and other ways is incredibly helpful and enlightening. This book really helped me and my career choice will be directly affected by this book (I'm 21).

I can see how some people wouldn't be good at determining their answers for the test and how some people will be so split between the two extremes in a given question that theyre unable to make a choice. However I really think this book can benefit a lot of people. Strongly recommended.Get more detail about Do What You Are: Discover the Perfect Career for You Through the Secrets of Personality Type.

Save Effective Java (2nd Edition)

2010-01-04T16:15:00.001-08:00

This book is loaded with best practices for the seasoned Java programmer. Every Java developer should keep this book in their book bag. This book provides advice on many Java pitfalls that are often overlooked. The book has been updated with recommendations on many of the new features included in Java 5 & 6 that are particularly useful.Get more detail about Effective Java (2nd Edition).

Discount The Praxis Series Official Guide

2010-01-03T16:16:00.001-08:00

Great for people taking the Praxis I tests. I wish it would have given an in-depth review of math. The book goes over exactly how the test works, what will be covered, and has 2 full practice tests. You can also find free reviews online, which I would have used if I had known about them before I got the book. Get more detail about The Praxis Series Official Guide.

Cheapest Strength Training Anatomy - 2nd Edition

2010-01-02T16:16:00.001-08:00

This book has very good information on the muscle group that is used when doing a particular exercise. It works every muscle group you have, from the neck to your toes. The only downfall I see about this book is that its ONLY a informative book. Meaning, it doesnt tell you how many sets to do, the schedule you should go with, or how intense the exercise is. But it will be useful for the experienced lifter, but for the rookie like me, I would need a little more guidence. Im sure it will be more useful when I know what exercises and sets I have to work with.Get more detail about Strength Training Anatomy - 2nd Edition.

Cheap Why Does He Do That?: Inside the Minds of Angry and Controlling Men

2010-01-01T15:11:00.001-08:00

This book takes away all of the myths as to why men are abusive. I couldn't put it down. Get more detail about Why Does He Do That?: Inside the Minds of Angry and Controlling Men.

Buying Life's Healing Choices: Freedom from Your Hurts, Hang-ups, and Habits

2010-01-01T12:11:00.001-08:00

I am a member of Celebrate Recovery and we have been watching the videos and listening to the CD's of this series. This book goes much more indepth. So far I have only worked through the second chapter, but already I am feeling the impact of this life changing message. John Baker writes from his heart and his own personal experience in a very lovable and easy to understand fashion. It's so encouraging to know I am not alone on my journey of recovery! There's very emotional testimonies from people who have experienced a lot of pain from others and self inflicted pain that have found healing as a result of working through the 8 principles. I highly recommend this book if you are ready to make the choice to look at your issues and start on the road to healing.
This book would be the equivalent to AA's "Big Book" only in Celebrate Recovery we know our Higher Power is Jesus Christ! There is no true healing without Christ. He is the Great Physician and Counselor!Get more detail about Life's Healing Choices: Freedom from Your Hurts, Hang-ups, and Habits.

Buy Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers

2010-01-01T07:11:00.001-08:00

In a society that's generally very hush-hush and euphemistic about death, Stiff peels back the sheet (as it were, heh heh heh) on all the things that may happen to a person's body after s/he dies. Some people might find this morbid, but I believe it's good to be candid about death -- after all, we ALL go through it, and (as the book explores) we can be used in a myriad of ways, even after we die. I don't want to paraphrase what you'll find because it takes the fun out of it, but some of the topics covered in the book include --

* How we naturally decay
* Bodies used for dissection at medical schools
* Crash test cadaver dummies
* Disturbing experiments done in the 18th and 19th centuries
* New and alternative ways to dispose of your remains
* The "body farm" in Tennessee (check out those haciendas...)

And more! Everything is presented in glorious, juicy detail, with a thick bibliography to back the information up.

The author approaches the subject with a clear, conversational, and humorous style. She manages to sound respectful towards the deceased, but at the same time showing us that post-death, a cadaver's journey can be useful, disgusting, bittersweet, disturbing, hilarious. The prose is snappy and witty and fun and made you want to keep reading.

Some parts of the book were unexpectedly moving, like the chapter on dissection cadavers and their medical students. A close friend of mine is in med school and often tells me what she felt dissecting her cadaver (she felt "proud" of him for being such a fine specimen, his eyelashes made him the most human, his scars from past surgeries made her morose). The chapter in this book really reflected that strange student/cadaver relationship. I'm not gonna lie, I welled up in every part of the book where people expressed their gratitude for their cadaver.

Ultimately, in addition to providing a jam-packed ton of facts about the dead human body, this book manages to be uplifting. grateful, and life-affirming. Knowledge is power, and this book gives the reader power in deciding for themselves what to do with their bodies post-mortem (or what NOT to do). The honesty, humor, and lack of gloom-and-doom makes us realize that death is truly an integral part of life.

Warning: FANTASTIC book, but it gets graphic at times. If you know you can't stomach reading in detail about a rotting body, then you might want to get mentally prepared beforehand. Use your own discretion.Get more detail about Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers.

Purchase In Praise of Slowness: How A Worldwide Movement Is Challenging the Cult of Speed

2009-12-31T15:11:00.001-08:00

This is another one that'll enthrall you--read it in companionship with Kingsolver's ANIMAL, VEGETABLE, MIRACLE. Maybe it's just me--sick and tired of the rat race--but Honore spoke to my heart regarding what needs to be done (what WE can do) to create the peace, quiet, comfort, and meaning in life, that most of us are craving today. This is an inpsiring book and worth the read!Get more detail about In Praise of Slowness: How A Worldwide Movement Is Challenging the Cult of Speed.

Order Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches

2009-12-31T12:11:00.001-08:00

well-written research and dissertation guide from A to Z, with referrals to other resources for 1-10, if what you need is not within.Get more detail about Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches.

Where To Buy Painless Grammar (Painless Series)

2009-12-31T07:11:00.001-08:00

I love these books from the Barrons library. I was getting confused with grammer. This is my freshman year and I want to improve my GPA. I can honestly tell you this book delivers. I took my first exam today with more confidence than all the notes I took in class. Well worth the money.Get more detail about Painless Grammar (Painless Series).

Shop For Common Sense

2009-12-30T15:11:00.001-08:00

This book is a classic for a reason; the man behind it is virulent in his message, and yet keeps it focused and steady on his purpose.

"Common Sense" tells what Americans these days truly do consider to be common sense, but in the times of Imperialism and vulgar displays of power, would have been outrageous.

The sheer language and brute honesty Thomas Paine uses I think takes a load of courage and stubborn defiance to put to word, as it not only targets and properly bashes England, but takes several justified shots at virtually every great nation and civilization in Human history.

He tells a story from the Bible of Gideon, who the people of Israel beg for him to be their king, and he refuses, for he (and Thomas Paine) consider that any king that is not God is a fraud and a blasphemer, for there can be no king but God.

This is the message Paine brutally and viciously puts to task in the next several pages, where he tells of how a monarchy is inherently corrupt, and subject to the whims and brutality of the king. He gives some startling, if uncited, examples of how the KINGDOMS of France and England and Spain had been in almost non-stop war back and forth with one another, and yet other European Republics have enjoyed decades of peace.

Paine clearly attempts to associate that monarchies lead to a state of near total war, as the King wants what the King wants, and the King uses the people and their lives and money to get it. Paine even targets the Papacy for this practice.

He then goes about establishing what is ideal about a representative system of government which we would end up adopting for our nation today, and how best it would be to endow our nation with power that never broaches the level of kingdom.

Even after 200+ years of change in language, the literature of the book/pamphlet is nowhere near the dense and flowery literature of a Shakespeare or the like, and his metaphors are vivid and relatable. He speaks with a common tongue that can be understood by virtually anyone in his time, and by many people in this time, though unfortunately I cannot imagine certain people of lesser intelligence being able to grasp it all without help.

The only real problem I have may be a problem of the edition published (Big Fish Publishing Inc January 27, 2006) or perhaps it was how it was originally written, for wont of italics, but a great many instances in Paine's text contains words that are fully capitalized. In most cases, this makes sense as the words capitalized are intended to be strongly emphasized. However, in some cases, it's either excessive (as in capitalizing every line of dialogue he paraphrases from the Bible), or just plain incoherent that it turns out sounding like he SCREAMS certain words at random that have no real need or business being particularly emphasized.

It seems obvious enough to us now, but the ideas put forth by Thomas Paine in this book are truly revolutionary, and to do so in a climate where open war has pretty much begun, published first in January 1776.Get more detail about Common Sense.

The Innovator's Prescription: A Disruptive Solution for Health Care

2009-12-30T12:11:00.001-08:00

The Innovator's Prescription is an excellent analysis of the systemic problems we see in health care in the United States. It makes a compelling case for managing health (versus managing illness), and applies Christensen's "Disruptive Innovation" model to point us down a path to help solve this.

As a lay person I didn't realize how ignorant I was regarding broader health care issues until I read this book. Highly recommended for anyone looking to better understand the problems and possible solutions.Get more detail about The Innovator's Prescription: A Disruptive Solution for Health Care.

Financial Reckoning Day Fallout: Surviving Today's Global Depression Review

2009-12-30T07:11:00.001-08:00

Financial Reckoning Day Fallout is a collection of history and opinion explaining the lead up of the 2009 Depression. (I think this is a Depression, not a Recession).

This book is not cohesive as The New Empire Debt which maintains the idea the US is practically an empire. This book is a loose collection of history and opinion. I did not enjoy Financial Reckoning Day Fallout as much as the New Empire of Debt.

I would, however, recommend this book to those who want a deep understanding of the current state of the economy.

The highlights in this book are the following:

- the reason why fiat money is a flop
- the influence of demographics, such as the Baby Boomers, on the economy
- the ongoing Japanese recession
- the history of Alan Greenspan.
Get more detail about Financial Reckoning Day Fallout: Surviving Today's Global Depression.

This Is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession This instant

2009-12-29T12:11:00.001-08:00

In the US, if someone writes something about the understanding of music, he gets it published with much hype from the publisher and from the reviewers. In other countries that I know, it is the exact opposite: if you have something to say, you are confronted with a powerful Establishment, and you will very probably be rejected. Now about this book:

There are three books in one: 1. Experimental findings in brain localisations in the perception of music. 2. Various remarks on musical aesthetics. 3. Personal anecdotes. Those three are unrelated and could be made into three separate books: for the first, after some sorting and classifying of the information; for the second, after pruning the errors which other reviewers have detailed and which will not be listed again here (some are big, like the confusion between octaves and harmonics noted by several reviewers), the redundancies, the all-too-obvious (such as this: mothers take a soft voice when singing to their baby); for the third, also after some sorting of the personal info.

The rest of my remarks concern, not only this book, but I suppose the whole neuroscience. Here the author talks glibly of neurons "firing" but never takes the trouble to tell us what he means by that. What happens in a neuron that "fires"? Is it something like a flip-flop microcircuit that switches from a 0 state to a 1 state? What is the information content of a neuron? Also, we read of the great number of neurons in the brain, and of the even greater of connections between neurons; but, I suppose, only neighbouring neurons can get connected; are these connections fixed, or mobile? There is the word "synapse" which the author doesn't use: what is a synapse? what happens in a synapse? Also, we are told that there is a concentration of blood in a region of the brain when that region is active; but what produces that? are there tiny muscles that dilate or contract blood vessels in the brain? If so, what activates them? I don't know the answer to all these questions; if the author knows, he should tell us; if he doesn't, he should endeavour to get some research started on the subject.Get more detail about This Is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession.

The Things They Carried Immediately

2009-12-29T07:11:00.001-08:00

When The Things They Carried was chosen as my book club's 2009 Big Read selection, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I'm too young to remember the Vietnam War. In fact, I am of a generation who has never really experienced "genuine" war. Furthermore, none of my immediate family members ever engaged in active combat. In a word, I feared I'd find nothing to relate to within this book's pages. I needn't have worried. My experience in reading The Things They Carried was nothing short of extraordinary. For all my lack of firsthand connection to warfare, I've seen more than my fair share of personal strife. It's from that viewpoint (reading this book from the point of view of my own personal wars) that I was drawn in and bound tightly to its riveting story lines. Whatever your own personal historical perspective, you'll find The Things They Carried utterly relatable on the basis of its uncanny ability to strike at the core of what it means to be human. Get more detail about The Things They Carried.

The Success Principles(TM): How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be Best Quality

2009-12-28T15:11:00.001-08:00

The book was great and I thought that it would be good to do the coaching. After an emotional hard sell. I was having some bells and whistles go off, but I thought, roll with it... Like jack says. On the phone I was told that these were jacks personal coaches. Come to find out, the same company does Robert Kiyosaki's "personal coaching". I googled all of my coaches and they had no street cred whatsoever.

It was incredibly disappointing and a waste of time. Not to mention, I felt like a sucker for not trusting my gut and calling them on the carpet throughout the whole process.

Buyer beware. If it sounds too good, it is!!!Get more detail about The Success Principles(TM): How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be.

Influence: Science and Practice (5th Edition) Get it now!

2009-12-28T12:11:00.001-08:00

Cialdini has done it! A great text that should be read by all. Study this book and never get ripped off again - understand how the sales techniques that are cast against the unwitting and defeat them. Once you read this book you'll come back and buy ten copies and give them as gifts. A MUST for any psychology class - university or high school. Get more detail about Influence: Science and Practice (5th Edition).

1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus Buy Now

2009-12-28T07:11:00.001-08:00

I am finding it almost scary to attempt a comment about 1491 because it is, seriously, one of the most remarkable books I have ever read. I am a little numbed by the facts assembled by Mann and I have no doubt that wealth of scholarship will withstand any amount of counter argument. I admit I started this book months ago and it seemed that every new chapter I read, I was confronted by such a wealth of new material that it has taken me too long to attempt to digest all that I have read. No, I do not believe the one star criticisms of this fabulous compendium of current scholarship regarding aspects of the ancient history of pre-Columbian America.
As an example and I fully admit to being a modest general reader, I was amazed to read of the Beni in Bolivia. The simple existence of those undoubtedly constructed mounds attests to a technology for which we Westerners cannot even judge. Then skip to the last chapter and mind-wrestle with the idea that some scholars believe the Amazon Basin was tree planted to provide natural food for huge populations. Then deal with the idea of terra preta or manufactured soil; something our technology cannot approach.
I believe it was chapter six where Mann talked about corn; now who, certainly not me, has ever given corn a thought but he tells us that biologically it should not even exist because it needs human beings to propagate it. We in the West are so constipated with our own greatness that we cannot digest the breadth of other technology used by the peoples of the Western Hemisphere.
In this short comment how can I even deal with the extraordinary civilizations that grew around Lake Titicaca and made Peru as important as the Fertile Crescent or that the Inka Empire was territorially the largest in world history. My mind literally reeled from the bombardment of new material assembled by Mann. I leave this book with a completely new appreciation of all that was taking place in the Americas before Columbus. I am truly amazed and I, stupidly in hindsight, thought I knew a little about the human history of this rock we inhabit; but no, I only had a little of half the story and I thank Mann for correcting that vacuum slightly. Now I just have to remember all that he wrote.
Get more detail about 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus.

Animal Farm (Bridge) Order Now

2009-12-27T15:12:00.001-08:00

Entertaining and very insightful. Quick read and will keep you hooked right up till the end. Get more detail about Animal Farm (Bridge).

Anatomy Coloring Book, The (3rd Edition) Decide Now

2009-12-27T12:11:00.001-08:00

It helps a lot with learning where things are because you have to find them, but it is so small and detailed sometimes I'm too lost with trying to stay inside the lines.Get more detail about Anatomy Coloring Book, The (3rd Edition).

Kaplan GMAT 2010 Premier Live Online (Kaplan Gmat Premier Live) Right now

2009-12-27T07:11:00.001-08:00

I found this Kaplan review perhaps the most helpful GMAT guide on the market (out of several I ordered). It was my primary study guide.

The Official GMAT Guides take a very formal approach (like a textbook) and generally don't "prep" or "coach" you for the GMAT as book does (but I found this book also does a good job of teaching the material). This book is well-suited for studying and taking the GMAT under time constraints and is a good all-around GMAT study aid.

I was initially reluctant to purchase Kaplan because of their poor reputation in LSAT Prep but I found their GMAT guide very helpful (especially the Quantitative sections). It gives an excellent, concise quantitative review mixed with expert test taking strategies.

The verbal sections are also good as well

Highly recommended!!
Get more detail about Kaplan GMAT 2010 Premier Live Online (Kaplan Gmat Premier Live).

Lowest Price The Complete Adult Psychotherapy Treatment Planner (PracticePlanners®)

2009-12-26T15:11:00.001-08:00

It takes the pain and work out of formulating a treatment plan and is a giant help in selecting a diagnosis when needed. The basic steps in the healing process make sense and are a good natural guide for developing good connections with clients and for taking them through their process in a gentle, progressive manner. Get more detail about The Complete Adult Psychotherapy Treatment Planner (PracticePlanners®).

Low Price The Craft of Research, Third Edition (Chicago Guides to Writing, Editing, and Publishing)

2009-12-26T12:11:00.001-08:00

I received it on time and, though I haven't read it, I skimmed it and it looks very interestingGet more detail about The Craft of Research, Third Edition (Chicago Guides to Writing, Editing, and Publishing).

Discount Rapid Interpretation of EKG's, Sixth Edition

2009-12-25T15:12:00.001-08:00

I was first introduced to this book in the second year of my paramedic training in 1984. It was required reading. I found the book easy to understand, conceptualize and translate to practical application. It is *awesome*. Since 1984 I have recommended it many, many times to colleagues, nurses, physicians, and paramedic students. They have all given similar glaring reviews. In the paramedic arena, it is simply known as "Dubin's" The ICU and ED nurses that I have recommended it to say that they have never had as good an understanding of the physiology behind the rhythms until reading "Dubin's". It should be required reading for anyone in direct patient care who deals with EKGs.

I recommend it above all others for basic and advance understanding of the electrocardiogram, its physiology and interpretation.Get more detail about Rapid Interpretation of EKG's, Sixth Edition.

Cheapest Tarascon Pocket Pharmacopoeia 2009: Classic Shirt-Pocket Edition, Revised and Updated

2009-12-25T12:11:00.001-08:00

Great book to have in your pocket. It's much faster to flip through these pages than the look in epocrates sometimes. I use it often. The only problem is that they only give medication and recommended dosages. But I'm sure if they added all the other info, it probably wouldn't fit in the pocket anymore. Highly recommended. Get more detail about Tarascon Pocket Pharmacopoeia 2009: Classic Shirt-Pocket Edition, Revised and Updated.

Cheap The Field: The Quest for the Secret Force of the Universe

2009-12-25T07:11:00.001-08:00

I ordered this book after hearing her on Coast to Coast. It's an excellent book and definitely worth reading. I don't want to give away any secrets but after reading it you will look at things differently as she has a great way of going deeper.

Would recommendGet more detail about The Field: The Quest for the Secret Force of the Universe.

Buying Ernest Hamingway's the Sun Also Rises (Barron's Book Notes)

2009-12-24T15:11:00.001-08:00

I've read the majority of Hemingway's books and this is the only one I return to. It has a great deal of atmosphere and always gives me a taste of what post-WWI life was like among a certain set of worldly adventurers. I feel like I'm along for the ride when Jake goes fishing or to the bullfights, and Hemingway makes me taste the cold beer Jake drinks in the heat of the day. At the end though, I feel a certain distaste for the maneater Brett and also Jake, because he's so taken with this ultimately shallow woman. Is this a great book: no, but "isn't it pretty to think so." It's just very good. I would recommend to anyone who likes Hemingway another American writer named James Salter who is celebrated but not nearly as much as Hemingway. For my money, Salter out-Hemingway's Hemingway. Get more detail about Ernest Hamingway's the Sun Also Rises (Barron's Book Notes).

Buy Barron's SAT 2400: Aiming for the Perfect Score

2009-12-24T12:11:00.001-08:00

All of the "strategies" in this book are what can be derived from common sense: Read carefully yet as quickly as possible, time yourself, don't get nervous, etc.
The book's examples were repetitive and unlike the actual SAT problems, and there were numerous typos and mistakes littered through the book.
This book was useless, and I regret buying it. If you are looking for SAT Prep, simply go with the official Blue Book; that's all you need.Get more detail about Barron's SAT 2400: Aiming for the Perfect Score.

Purchase The Old Man and the Sea

2009-12-24T07:11:00.001-08:00

Though I enjoyed reading this novel, I believe the price is a little high. The story is quite short and I have read better and longer books for less. It is very possible that I didn't fully understand the book, as I am only sixteen years old, but if I had I am sure the price would have been suitable. to sum up what I just wrote, because I hardly understand it myself, the older you are the better this novel will seem to you!Get more detail about The Old Man and the Sea.

Where To Buy First, Break All the Rules: What the World's Greatest Managers Do Differently

2009-12-23T12:11:00.001-08:00

This is a management approach that all levels of managers need to grow their management skills.Get more detail about First, Break All the Rules: What the World's Greatest Managers Do Differently.

Shop For The Age of Empathy: Nature's Lessons for a Kinder Society

2009-12-23T07:11:00.001-08:00

This is the first book I've read by Frans de Waal. It is written in simple, accessible language and is positively stuffed with provocative ideas and anecdotal stories. The premise, that empathetic behaviors and tendencies predate our evolutionary pedigree, directly addresses underrepresented views in both evolutionary biology as well as popular conceptions of our own animal nature. I found his unapologetic attitude about the political implications of his work to be personally refreshing and scientifically defensible. However, here's what really sells the book: in casual conversation I found myself repeatedly (and indirectly) referencing "The Age of Empathy" as a touchstone for an astonishing array of tangential interdisciplinary topics. My only complaint is that I would have preferred a longer, more complex book on the subject.Get more detail about The Age of Empathy: Nature's Lessons for a Kinder Society.

1776

2009-12-22T15:11:00.001-08:00

Shame ! A great story written so poorly as to be almost unreadable. The author writes full of himself as if he were adoringly listening to himself narrate some pretentious Ken Burns docudrama. Unfortunately a written work must stand on its own and justify itself. It can not be just a few scrambled words that would connect the "thousand words of a photograph". Read "Washington's Crossing"Get more detail about 1776.

Don't Hassel the Hoff: The Autobiography Review

2009-12-22T12:11:00.001-08:00

This is a surprisingly interesting book if you want stories about Hasselhoff's days on Knight Rider and Baywatch. He also goes into detail about his European music career and famous people he has known (Liberace?). It even has an episode guide and list of recordings. There are enough good stories in the book to make it worth reading.

But he fails to adequately address his personal problems. He likes to blame the women in his life for his inability to keep relationships and glosses over his drinking issues. He doesn't do well at self-analysis--why would this guy who says he had an ideal childhood with a loving family (including four sisters) feel so insecure with women and be unable to handle life without using drugs or alcohol?

Another problem is that this was originally published in England and has distracting British spelling and punctuation. Couldn't St. Martin's have sprung for a proofreader for the American edition? It looks like they rushed it to take advantage of his success on America's Got Talent.

He says he dedicates himself to the children of the world and has many examples of going out of the way to help those in need. He has a very positive attitude about his career. But he seems to have his priorities out of line and forgets to take care of his wife and kids at home. This was written in 2006 and now we know that his daughters are trying to straighten him out. There is no indication here of why his is still so childlike and unable to grow up, even though it makes for fun reading.Get more detail about Don't Hassel the Hoff: The Autobiography.

It's Your Ship: Management Techniques from the Best Damn Ship in the Navy Top Quality

2009-12-22T07:11:00.001-08:00

I received the book as a gift and found it to be entertaining and insightful. Abrashoff took risks and thought outside the box--not to promote himself, but to create the best working environment for his subordinates. I bought additional copies for the people I directly supervise and have already received positive comments about how it is changing the way they do business. Get more detail about It's Your Ship: Management Techniques from the Best Damn Ship in the Navy.

Rapid Review Pathology: With STUDENT CONSULT Online Access This instant

2009-12-21T15:11:00.001-08:00

A review book without leaving out the important details. I can't say enough about this book. It systematically reviews pathology, including the etiology, pathophysio, clinical, and lab finding. Very through, yet not overwhelming. Get more detail about Rapid Review Pathology: With STUDENT CONSULT Online Access.

Better: A Surgeon's Notes on Performance Immediately

2009-12-21T12:11:00.001-08:00

The author brings you into his last year of residency through his first few years of practice with interviews of other practitoners. His unflinching examination of the health care system gives an accurate protryal of how we are in the mess we are in. From his negotiaion to joining a surgical practice in the Boston area, to looking at rural health care, this is about a 3-4 (cross country) read on how different areas receive different medical care from a doctor who is willingly publically to question the system. Yes, it is in an essay format, but that makes it easy to pick up and put down. Get more detail about Better: A Surgeon's Notes on Performance.

Wuthering Heights: A Kaplan SAT Score-Raising Classic (Kaplan Sat Score Raising) Best Quality

2009-12-21T07:11:00.001-08:00

Hi there, it's me again with another 'Classic'. You probably don't know I recently made a resolution to read some of the 'Classics'. I had avoided them successfully for decades and then decided that perhaps I was missing out on some really great stories. So, I carefully selected some novels that sounded like great 'Classics' to read. 'Wuthering Heights', 'Pride and Prejudice' and 'Jane Eyre' rose to the top of the list.

They all sounded like fabulous stories, everyone raves about them, the book jackets make them sound like the absolute be all end all for engaging fiction. And maybe they are for the vast majority of people, but not me. Jane Eyre being the exception of the three.

I did LOVE 'Jane Eyre', love, love, loved it. However my strong feeling for both 'Pride and Prejudice' and 'Wuthering Heights' swing dramatically in the complete opposite direction.

I really strongly disliked (okay, I hated) almost everything about Wuthering Heights. I thought the characters were absolutely horrid and rotten, the only exception being the innocent and unrelated tenant, Mr. Lockwood, who Ellen Dean tells this awful tale to.

The relationships were completely dysfunctional, violent, abusive and destructive. I can not comprehend how this came to be called "one of the most romantic novels of all time". I have no idea who said that but in my opinion whoever it was should have their head examined. If this is what people call romantic it is no wonder that 1 in 2 of all marriages fail.

Perhaps, I have some sort of completely unrealistic expectations when it comes to the classics and my expectations set me up for failure...? Perhaps. But I am going to stop searching out any more 'Classics' for the time being.

One more hostile note that some of you will appreciate. I swear I wanted to cudgel the servant Joseph who spoke in a northern dialect and could only be understood by reading the notes to the text in the back of the book.

I would have to place this book at the top of a list for 'Most Likely to Create Hatred of English Literature'.Get more detail about Wuthering Heights: A Kaplan SAT Score-Raising Classic (Kaplan Sat Score Raising).

The Odyssey Get it now!

2009-12-20T15:11:00.001-08:00

I am not going to join in the debate on translation. I read the Fitzgerald a long time ago and enjoyed it very much. I just finished reading Fagles' translation and was completely enthralled. Do not listen to anyone who tells you that one translation is closer to Homer (in some way which they rarely explain). Just find the one that grabs you by your reader's neck and pulls you in.
The Odyssey is essential, charming and occassionally astounding. It's main characters are people who we recognize, who we sometimes understand and who sometimes are bizarrely foreign. I want to talk about some of my reactions to the book. In many ways, this review is more for people who have already read it. I would love some knowledgeable comments on the points I want to discuss.
There many things about the book to puzzle over and ponder. Bernard Knox brings up one of the puzzles in his very useful introduction. I am talking about the whole issue of Odysseus' renown or fame. Many times throughout the book, either Telemachus or Penelope explains that the fact that Odysseus has disappeared is a problem. It seems almost as if it would be preferable to know that he died gloriously on the fields before Troy. The fact that his fame does not have a known ending seems to not only put Penelope in a difficult position vis-a-vis the suitors but to somehow diminish Telemachus in the eyes of the world. Telemachus in order to begin to gain his own renown has to be grounded in the renown of his father, Odysseus. And Odysseus, in the eyes of the world, is now a man without a stable renown. It is almost as if the Greeks saw the fame of an individual as we see their personality- it is a guide to their behavior and gives stability and meaning to all they do.
Then there is the occassional shock of how the women are viewed throughout the book. Whether it is Helen referring to herself as a whore or the way that Telemachus talks to Penelope or his hanging of the maids or Odysseus being more than willing to stay with Circe for a year it is obvious that this is a deeply male world. By the way, that hanging is worth long consideration. These maids were little kids when Odysseus sailed off to Troy; they may well have had no memory of him whatsoever. The suitors have been acting with criminal disregard in the house for years. The maids may have been seduced or raped or somewhere inbetween. Their punishment is a slower, more torturous death than that of the suitors. And, yet somehow, the book gives the impression that this was justice served.
And finally there is the character of Odysseus himself. He seems incapable of seemingly walking into any situation without first putting everyone in sight to some sort of test. This culminates in one of the last books where he views his father, Laertes, for the first time in twenty years. The piteous state of Laertes causes Odysseus to burst into tears, than to immediately engage in internal debate whether or not to test him, which, of course, he does. For what? For being appropriately distraut over the death of his wife and the disappearance of his son for twenty years?
See what I mean about the characters being both familiar and strange in their psychologies?
But for me, this is heart of the value of the book. We are all individuals, all human, all born in a culture and in history. The varieties of ways that the human, the individual, the cultural and the historical can mix in one person is not infinite. It may not even be inordinate. But there are wide and wild variations. The Odyssey places that conundrum right in front of us in the course of a wonderfully exotic and enticing story. It is not for nothing that Odysseus is referred to many times as the man of twists and turns. He is not just a schemer. He himself is a puzzle, one that has bewitched and befuddled our cultural tradition for centuries. One that has befuddled me for the past two weeks. Again, I cannot recommend highly enough that you worry not about the translation issue and focus which translation is the most readable to you. Or maybe get several and read them at different times. And then write me a comment to explains your understanding of the issues I bring up or some of your own.Get more detail about The Odyssey.

Machiavelli's The Prince Buy Now

2009-12-20T12:11:00.001-08:00

After many years of hearing and reading about Machiavelli and this timeless classic, I decided to read it for myself. Not only did I instantly appreciate the book's `classic' status, my experience was enhanced by choosing this "enriched classic" version. Being my first "enriched classic," I was very pleasantly surprised with the notes and commentary in the introduction and at the end of the book. They prepared me well for the book, and helped me put Machiavelli's words into meaningful contexts.

The book was organized into twenty-six small chapters, each dealing with a specific situation that a ruler is likely to face: dealing with soldiers and mercenaries; how the strength of regimes are measured; how to govern different types of lands and lands acquired by different means (e.g. lands that are used to governing themselves, lands acquired by force, lands acquired by heredity, lands acquired by the aid of others, lands acquired by treachery, ecclesiastical lands, etc.). Machiavelli provided many historical examples to illustrate his points, and show what happens when rulers did not practice his points. I understand how Machiavelli has earned his "the ends justify the means" reputation - his observations and discussions about rulers maintaining power and control are interesting, logical, and singularly focused.

I believe this book is written in such a way that readers will draw their own conclusions about the author's intentions, and the book's main points or themes. For me, the book was more than just a historical analysis of the rulers and regimes of Machiavelli's time, it was his primer for rulers of all times.

The book's main principle was that rulers are measured by how long they rule, and everything they do should be calculated to strengthening their power and control. While he acknowledged that fate plays a large role in the success of rulers, Machiavelli repeatedly stressed that rulers must be able to adapt their methods to fit the realities of the situations they face. He argued that rulers should willingly be a blend of good and evil depending on when each is best for them. Fate changes, and Machiavelli believed it is best to be bold and aggressive than to be passive - be proactive, not reactive; make things happen vice waiting for things to happen.

I now understand why this book has survived through the centuries, and why so many government, corporate, and civilian leaders have read it and talked so much about it - it is one heck of a thought-provoking book that demands great judgment from its readers. If you want to read this classic book, I strongly recommend you exercise your great judgment right from the start by choosing this "enriched classic" version.
Get more detail about Machiavelli's The Prince.

The South Beach Diet Cookbook (Random House Large Print (Cloth/Paper)) Order Now

2009-12-20T07:11:00.001-08:00

"Diet" Cookbook? You have to be kidding! I mean that in the best way. This book is great, easy to follow, and provides recipes that are easy to make and health to eat. A recipe book for the whole family. I read all the Southbeach books before starting and have been using this cookbook in combination with others that Southbeach has pubished. In four weeks, I've lost 18 lbs. There's got to be something to it. Get more detail about The South Beach Diet Cookbook (Random House Large Print (Cloth/Paper)).